This segment covers the water pumping components for this large engine and the production of process steam in the early 1900s for River Station at the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Wow this is the best documentary on a working steam station that I have ever seen. Detail in all the right places and absolutely unique. Pllllease make part 3.
Interesting. But if I got this correctly; 820 valves per inlet AND discharge valve assembly, that would mean 1640 valves per pump, 4920 valves per three pumps in each engine, and a grand total of 19680 valves for all four engines and 24 valve assemblies. Providing my math is correct, I would not want to be the guy changing the washers in all those...
We miss interpreted the documentation when the video was made and the above answer is incorrect. We opened up the pump chamber, cleaned and removed one of the seven valve cages, and removed a few valves. There are 40 valves/cage, 280 valves/assembly, two assemblies per pump (inlet and discharge), 1,680 valves/engine, and 6,720 valves/station. Every valve was removed, inspected, and the face resurfaced if necessary on an annual basis. Pictures of the cage and valves on the web site (RS Details)
The next time some young and dumb Smart Phone Molester doubts that anything could be designed without a computer I shall refer them to this video. My dad (from Cleveland) went through your plant as an engineering student in September of 1941. The War interrupted his plans but he got his M.E. degree later. He worked for Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co. No doubt that your plant and all of its workings had a big influence on his career choice.
Yes, you and me both. When I am saying goodbye to people leaving the building at the end of the tour, they often leave with their mouth hanging open and shaking their head in disbelief. It is quite a sight to see.
@JonatanGronoset Good question. Yes, your math is correct. I double checked that data prior to making the video and wondered how many valves actually were working at any point in time. They were over designed by about 3 to 1 and could withstand many inoperative valves without restricting the flow.
These are not the biggest or largest capacity Triple Expansion engines in the world at all. The Kempton engines are larger in wetted area and between the 2 engines have a pumping capacity of 39 million gallons a day, almost a third larger than the total quoted for these four.